I need a bucket!

I’d like to cut back on swearing out loud, especially at work. A muffled blurt of “Shit!” is something I’d like to avoid; unfortunately, it’s more likely to be the F word. Swearing is such a quick release, but childish. I considered switching to French swearing, but I only know merde. I could start saying random nouns in French, then I can say, “pardon my French.” Sorry, that is my father’s humor peeking through. Plus, I only learned a little French while working with a man in Paris, we instant messaged in French for fun sometimes. I can’t speak it and even my typed French is rusty.

In the Discworld novel, The Truth, villains Mr. Pin and Mr. Tulip say “___ing” but I don’t think I could get the pause right before the -ing. I’m not sure it would be a satisfying replacement for a good curse. I used Firefly cursing for a little bit, but it didn’t flow naturally and felt really self-conscience.

There may be too much SciFi/Fantasy influence in my head right now. There are only a few people in my face-to-face world who are as geeky as I. Between devouring all the Terry Pratchet I can get my hands on and Doctor Who the humorous references I see around me would sound like foreign language to anyone I talk with. Honestly, that’s not much deviation from the usual; I know I’d get the fish-eye if I said what I was thinking.

Notice I have no illusions that I could stop swearing altogether. No way could that happen. I'd explode from unreleased pressure like the fat man who ate a wafer thin mint.

Comments

[Karen]

I say GRRRRR out loud which is odd, but not offensive. I think one of ksl's kids started it - Q? I think he was imitating the cats.

Why can't we growl? It really works.

[Dodi]

I used Grrr in an instant message today! It felt great. It was more of a warning growl than a curse replacement. I laughed at myself and thought of the whole ksl clan.